2030
by peggyismyname
Summary: Hello, this is an original story that I came up with. It is very loosely based on magic, since Harry Potter was one of my inspirations. Give it a try, and maybe a few tips? Thanks :) 2030 is about how society could probably like in, well, 2030. Enjoy :)
1. prologue

**Author's Note: Hello Everyone! I haven't been on this site in such a long time... Anyways, this is an ORIGINAL story that I came up with. I hope you enjoy it, I would really appreciate any help or even criticism as I really like this story so far. Without further ado... I give you... 2030**

PROLOGUE

"I never would have pinned you for a liar. I gave you my heart, my soul! Everything! Guess some things are just meant to be left as they are, especially people like _you_." With that, he glared at me and left, storming out the door. I fell onto the floor, feeling my heart sink to the bottom of my shoes. What have I done? Most importantly, will it ever be alright again?

I closed my eyes, just wanting to float away from this dark, cruel world and into my own land. A place where I could be myself and not have to create multiple lies to keep up this facade. Where people appreciated me for myself, and not for who they thought I was. Where falling in love was considered acceptable for people like me.

I knew the trouble I was getting myself into the moment he stopped me on the street. So, why did I still follow him?

It could only be love.

My heart shall never be yours

Neither shall yours be mine

Still, you gave me the oars

To swim, in your eyes, so divine

**Please don't judge this story based on this really bad prologue... It honestly gets better ;)**


	2. Chapter 1

**This is an original story of my own creation, so please do not try and copy it. Thank You.**

CHAPTER 1

23 August 2030

"Elizabeth Greenwaters. Sixteen years old. Eligible for secretarial or journalist jobs. Currently works in a cafe as a waitress. Oh, you should add more interesting things, like your favourite colour!." I rolled my eyes as my best friend, Caleb, read my resume aloud.

"Caleb, stop it. Let the whole world know what a failure I am, why don't you." I glared at him as he passed it back to me, mentally stopping myself from slapping the grin off his face. He took a few steps back, as though he could read my mind. Which of course, he could.

"You know, you need serious help with that resume. Let the doctor work his surgery," He rolled his sleeves up and smiled, waggling his eyebrows. I just shoved him playfully and handed him the paper.

"Hmm,hmm. I see I have my work cut out for me. Be a darling and get me a coffee, will you? I know, I know, no coffee for Mental Readers but hey, I need the caffeine!" He held his hands out defensively.

I scoffed and grabbed my purse, before peering around Caleb's nearly empty office for any Skribes. They were basically like security guards, but with more muscle and lower I.Q. Besides, I had to make sure no one caught me hanging out with a Mental Reader, since us Nulls, those with no determined powers, were considered too much of a threat to hang with an otherwise perfectly grouped society.

I had to thank my lucky stars that my best friend since kindergarden didn't treat me any differently once we'd been grouped. Not since... I shook my head, trying to get rid of my unwanted thoughts, before heading towards the door.

Just as I opened the door and stepped out, someone who was apparently blind slammed into me, causing my body to bump into the corner of the door. Thank heavens I had enough common sense to duck my head before I too was blinded. I blinked, anger fueling me. As I prepared to stand and let out my rage on whoever bumped into me, I caught Caleb's grin.

I knew that grin. It was his "Cute-Boy-Don't-Mess-This-Up grin. Funny how he managed to squeeze so many emotions into that one smirk. What was also funny was how he only ever grinned like that when-

"Please don't be him, please don't be him," I muttered, before turning around. Well, at least I'm not a Emotional Reader, it would have been embarrassing if I expressed my feelings with weird skin colour changes. "Hey Nick," I smiled, my heart beating so fast I felt like I'd just ran a marathon.

"Hey Liza, what's up? Sorry,here." He lifted me off the ground. I turned to him, palms god, even his non-smile-turned-smile made me sweat. His eyes, so grey, the light somehow managed to change their colour at every angle, to blue one second, then green or even pink the next. Still, that made sense, since he was an Emotional Reader. The ability to influence and feel emotions of others, probably why he always seemed so mysterious.

I cleared my throat, realising that I'd stared at him for way too long. "Um, just... Hanging! Yes, hanging, it's acceptable right?" I nodded quickly, holding my breathe. Could I sound more idiotic?

"Uh, okay. Guess I'll see you around then." He nodded at Caleb, and winked at me before leaving.

"Oh, yeah. Sure... I'll see you around. Right, 'cause I'm not even supposed to be here in the first place..." I face-palmmed. My face burning, I turned to Caleb, welcoming his warm embrace after humiliating myself in front of on of the hottest guys that went to my High School. Or did, before we got sorted.

Caleb raised an eyebrow at me, reading my thoughts, which were screaming "What did I do, Cassidy is so going to kill , Nick is hot, and she doesn't deserve him. Especially not a hunky guy like him, with those muscles and that bum-"

"Uh, Liza I love you. Really, I do. But I so do not want to hear my best friend's lust-filled thoughts-Ow! What was that for?" Caleb glared at me, rubbing the arm I just smacked.

"You. Are. An. Idiot. Can't you comfort me and say things like, oh it's okay, there are other guys out there, instead of reading my mind?"

He merely smirked, he could tell how I was really feeling without reading my mind. I mean, he did have years of practice learning how to read me. I rolled my eyes and stomped out of his office, taking the lift to the lobby of his building.

Once I escaped from the extremely smoke-filled lobby, I managed to choke my way to the nearby cafe that Caleb and I loved so much. Not only did they sell empanadas, they sold salted caramel cakes that were extremely delicious. I could feel my drool start to pool as I ordered two salted caramel cakes, along with a vanilla latte and extra-caffinated mochachino, and watched the little piles of heaven being packed in a box.

As I picked up the paper bag containing the drinks and cakes, I was unfortunate enough to spin around and bump into someone... Again.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, hang on." I took a few napkins and dabbed at the person's shirt.

"No, no it's okay. Totally my fault. It's not your fault you're unbelievably short, so much so that I couldn't help but to hit you." I wrenched my hand away from his shirt, glaring up at the man, or should I say, _boy_ who dared to speak to me like that. Sure, I was short. Did he have to point it out?

Once I looked up at him, prepared to beat the stuffing out of him, I couldn't help but gasp a little. It wasn't that he looked bad... It was more because I knew who he was. And what kind of person he was. Tentatively, I took a tiny step away from him, all the rumours of his arrests, philandering, all came rushing back.

I could not believe that I bumped into Ashton Freaking Summers.


	3. Chapter 2

**This is an original story of my own creation, so please do not try and copy it. Thank You.**

CHAPTER 2

Why would I be freaking out over bumping into some guy with a criminal record, you might ask. Well, and this was based purely on all the gossip I'd overhear in the toilets at school..

But Ashton had, well_, killed _someone. And not just any someone too. Someone whom he was supposed to look after, to be a role model to. His own sister, Leanne Summers, had died at his hands.

Looking back, during the time that she died, no one would have ever suspected Ashton. He was the perfect older brother, just 15, and she'd only been 5. He would bring her to the playground everyday, buy her ice-cream with the meagre salary he got working at the local burger place downtown. He even showed up at bring-your-parents day when their mom was too drunk to attend. No one had ever spoken about the dad though, rumour has it that he was a famous Reader Scientist who'd had an affair with Ashton's mom.

I had never paid close attention to Ashton before, until his sister died. It had been a seemingly normal day. He'd been told to babysit his sister while his mom went to 'work'. I wasn't sure of the details, but it seemed that their mom, Ms Summers, returned home after work to find her baby girl in the arms of her brother, her bloodied and lifeless body cradled delicately.

Of course, the police had arrested Ashton, but without enough evidence,even with all the Mental and Emotional Readers they could find to search his mind, all they could give him was a 2 year long sentence in juvie...

Which he had apparently just ended. Looking at him, I could understand why so many people whispered about him, or hushed up when he entered a room. His face was disfigured by his frown, but then again when was he not frowning?

If he tried to at least keep a straight face or heaven forbid, smiled, he would have looked a little better. Sure he wasn't the traditional kind of tanned beach boy hot, but he had this air of danger that constantly scared everyone...But drew them close too.

How many times had I walked into a group of girls to find out that one of them had hooked up with Mr Rockstar the previous night, only to roll my eyes when their friends paid them for carrying out their bets to kiss him.

Now, faced with the actual person, it was all I could do to not jump on him, or run away. I gulped, as I slowly took in all of him. He had on black clothes, which were acceptable on anyone else, but fit him like second skin. His helmet was in his hands, the muscles in his arms bulging out as he tensed up. His long,brown hair hung up to his shoulders, giving him a wild, animalistic look. What caught my attention most were his eyes.

His eyes were the purest shade of iron, darkening now to the colour of a stormy sky. What was interesting were the flakes of gold and brown in them I'd never seen someone with such beautiful eyes, much less on a person like Ashton. I slowly leaned in, eager to see more of his eyes, fall into their deep grey oceans...

Then was forced to retreat as Ashton gave me the most deadliest look I'd ever seen. His nostrils flaring, he then picked up his bag and pushed past me to the counter. Still flummoxed, I could only let myself be pushed aside, mouth still gaped open as he stomped past me in his tactical boots.

"You know, you might want to close that mouth of yours, wouldn't want flies entering. I thought you were smart, Shorty, goes to show you really can be short _and _stupid, yet still look good." I heard him say, without turning around to face me. Fire burned within me again. This time, with his back towards me, I could handle him.

"Okay, first of all I may be short, but you just happen to be abnormally tall too. Secondly,call me Shorty one more time, and I swear I'll-"

"What, you'll stomp all over me with your midget-sized feet? Go ahead." He turned around smirked, daring me to try. I gritted my teeth, he did not know what happened when people dared me to do things they thought I wouldn't.

I smiled calmly at him, before snatching his drink and pouring it all over his head. I then took a napkin, and said, "You have a spot there, on your shirt," before storming out the door. Once out in the fresh air, though, I started panting hard. I was _so_ not the kind of girl who would be all sassy and throw drinks in hot guys' faces, even if they did deserve it. I frowned and looked at my latte, with its creamy vanilla goodness. Maybe the staff had slipped in drugs or something into my drink.

As I pondered as to whether to continue drinking or to throw the cup away, I heard the bells tinkling above the cafe door.

I cursed my automatic reaction when I saw Ashton looking at me. I tossed my hair over my shoulders, partly to hid my trembling fingers, and looked at him disdainfully, before walking towards Caleb's building.

I should have known that he wouldn't leave me alone. After all, annoying girls was his speciality... As was screwing with them. I shook my head and tried to walk faster, imagining the heavy footsteps behind me to belong to just another random stranger. Of course, since I didn't have any luck at all, just as I reached the door of the building I was roughly turned around.

"Hey! Do you mind?" I yelled at him, my efforts to wriggle out of his arms futile. He merely smirked, my fists apparantly having no effect on him. I huffed and decided to stop struggling, hoping he'd let me go.

Ashton Summers was smarter than that though. He held me by my shoulders and leaned in very close, so close that i thought he was about to kiss me.

"Listen here, Midget. You're like me. No, don't scoff," I rolled my eyes, like I was anything like that murderer," You are like me. We both have 'no powers' on our test results. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Or at least, you try to repress the thought of having no powers, right?" I stared at him. How did he know I was a Null? More importantly, why was he also a Null?

And why was he even telling me all of this? It wasn't like i knew him, or even wanted to. I started to tell him so, but he cut me off. "Look, just... Stay safe, okay? You'll understand soon, I promise. I'll keep in touch." With a sweeping glance, Ashton walked off, his boots disturbing the dust settling on the roadside.

I blinked as I watched his retreating figure. I tried to open the door to Caleb's building, but memories came rushing back so quickly, it was all I could do to actually breathe. I leaned against the door, as I finally allowed my mind to be filled with images I'd tried to forget for years..

_23 August 2035_

_I giggled as Caleb swung me around, excitedly screaming with joy. It was our Test Day at school, in which we would find out what kind of powers we had. Already, Caleb showed signs of being able to read minds, so I had no doubt he'd be a Mental Reader. Yet, I didn't show any signs at all of what I had, so I was a bit worried as to whether or not my power would be discovered. _

_But all that soon changed to despair once we reached the Testing Room. Caleb had already went inside before me, now it was my turn. Shakily, I got up from the rickety chair, my knees turned to jelly. I could barely make it to the door 10 feet away, before I forced myself to raise my arm and turn the door knob._

_I gasped as I entered the Testing Room, my heart beating wildly as I took in my surroundings. I was standing in the middle of a meadow, the warm sunshine contrasting with the cool breeze. I watched warily though, as a tiny shadow made its way towards me. _

_As it came closer, I saw that it was a tiny puppy. The puppy woofed happily, its cute voice reaching pitches no human ever could. It clumsily padded to me, rubbing its body against my jean-clad legs. I bent down and stroked its fur, giggling at the happy whines as it rolled on its stomach, begging to be scratched. _

_Just as i was about to scratch it, it growled and expanded in size. Now, it was a huge, gruff monster trying to eat me. I screamed and ran from it, frantically trying to influence its mind, its emotions, anything at all. My actions were futile as the dog bit me on the ankle and dragged me along the ground. _

_I was scared, yes, but now I felt angry too. Twisting my body around, I managed to kick the dog in the face. It whined and backed away, pawing at the blood pouring from its broken nose._

_I smiled triumphantly, and stood up. Well, at least I knew I wasn't a Mental or Emotional Reader. I wasn't a Physical Reader either, my brows furrowing as i tried to influence the dog to lift up its paw or wag its tail. _

_I sighed, only one power was left. I turned my head towards a lone tree standing a few metres away. I lifted my hand and concentrated as much as I could. I closed my eyes and imagined pulling the tree upwards, away from the ground, upwards so that the roots dangled in the sky..._

_I opened my eyes only to sigh in disappontment. So, if I wasn't a Natural Reader either, then what was I?_

_Suddenly, bright lights flashed around me. I blinked, trying to see through the whiteness. _

_"Elizabeth Greenwaters. Undetermined, put no powers on her results. Elizabeth, you may leave." I looked at the only person standing in front of me, the one I assumed to be the doctor. Her appearance looked polished, as though her smart suit and black heels were part of her stern persona. _

_I stood there, staring at her confusedly. She sighed, before plastering a smile that she probably intended to look friendly, yet she looked menancing instead. _

_"Elizabeth, your friends call you Liza right? Well Liza, it seems that you're a Null. You know what a Null is, right? And you know what happens to Nulls..._

I gasped, escaping that frightful memory. Shaking, I fumbled with the doorknob before running up to Caleb's office. His sunny grin slowly disappeared when he noticed me.

"Jesus, Elizabeth. Are you okay? You're so pale..." He quickly pulled me towards his desk, away from the prying eyes of his co workers. Although they never commented on my unallowed presence there, it was better to play safe and not aggravate them.

"I...I had the...the memory again." I stuttered out, sinking into the soft cushions. My hands were all clammy as Caleb grasped onto them.

"Do you..Do you want me to help?" I met his concerned eyes with panic. Then, I slowly closed my eyes and nodded, trusting him to help me recover. As he'd always done before.

He placed his hands on the sides of my head, barely grazing the temples. I felt a jolt of electricity run through me, before images started flashing in my mind. I couldn't focus clearly on any of them, and it was over almost as soon as it'd started.

I cautiously opened my eyes, remembering the head rush I had felt the first time Caleb helped to conceal my memories. Caleb, being a Mind Reader, could access my memories any time he wanted. However, he was a lot stronger than most, being able to erase them from my mind. Not permanently, but long enough that I could sleep without my usual nightmares.

"Thanks." I looked up at him blearily. He smiled grimly, leaning against his desk. I sighed, he knew me well enough to know that something must have happened for me to lose control so easily.

" I bumped into Ashton Summers while getting coffee. It wasn't a big deal..." I paused as Caleb choked on his latte. He set it down gingerly, away from him as though it possessed Ashton' germs.

"Really? What did he say? And don't tell me that he didn't say anything, because otherwise you wouldn't have looked like the world came crashing down."

I didn't have a choice, besides, he would have searched my mind to find out. Not that he'd do that without my permission. Caleb was a gentleman. So, I told him the full story, emphasising on the Null part of the story.

He was already shaking his head as I said "... Maybe that's why I have no powers. I'm a Null. And we all know what happens to Nulls."

"Shush!" Several heads already turned towards us. Caleb sighed, and was about to say something, when he caught sight of someone behind me. His eyes widened in panic.

"Um, Liza, you have to leave. Like, right now!" I didn't need further instructions than that. I quickly picked up my bag and fled the office, hopefully leaving before his boss saw me. While all of Caleb's co workers pretended that I wasn't around, his boss seemed to want to murder me everytime he saw me. He was an extremely religious man, and supported all government decisions. Which included the 'no socialising with Nulls' rule.

Quickly I left, going to the one place where I could be accepted.

The Yard.


End file.
